Topic: CHRONICLES OF THE WOLF

[RichterB]

@Belmontoya

Great to hear. I'm really glad I was able to express to the creative team how impactful these games were, especially Lecarde 2. LC3 definitely sounded like it had an interesting premise, and I am glad to hear you putting everything into CotW. Kind of surprised that this could be the swansong, but you've made your mark as far as I'm concerned. Like I said, excited for this one. Few extra notes I want to add to what I said before:

- The way you made sort of "sequel" songs to some of the Castlevania classics for different times of day, but made them original songs, was so seamless and fun. They are really catchy and atmospherically powerful, like Rise of the Morning Sun and Dimming of the Holy Light...etc. That was something so fun about Lecarde 2, where there were mini dungeons and main areas, and none of them felt like copy-paste in visuals or music. It made the game feel alive. New sights and sounds were always around the corner, and that they could even be interactive, like going into background areas by pushing up or breaking things off the background was great.

- In terms of testing and polish, I feel like CotW has great bones to build on. Lecarde 1 is definitely more rough around the edges/NES hard than Lecarde 2 in things like enemy placement and transitions, and I think more casual gamers would have an easier time getting into Lecarde 2 than 1, but I still love both and they each have different strengths to enjoy. In an alternate reality, a Lecarde Chronicles Collection for Switch would be like the best of all 2D Castlevania worlds. (Still waiting for Konami or someone to build off Castlevania 64 in the 3D space.)

- Aura Blast gameplay was so cool. Especially when it played into the puzzles. And the way the intriguing Von Viltheim family was carried into the second game from the first was genius.

- I think when I first heard about CotW, I was concerned it was just about being chased by a werewolf in the vein of a Resident Evil 3's Nemesis.

- Keep doing your thing! Sounds like you're in the home stretch and really bringing your vision to life! There were times in Lecarde 2 where I sarcastically said, "Stop it! This is too good!" Like when you arrive in the second town and the villagers and world give you so much new information that's so intriguing--the

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cemetery bells, the freezing path, the chapel underground, the swamp gas, the girl who appears at dawn, etc.

- Thanks for the like on my art!

@X

I had no trouble getting my Rock Candy off-brand XBox 360 controller, when plugged into the USB drive, work for these games. I didn't need any extra software. Lecarde 1 I had to be extra careful on downloading since it wasn't on Mig's site anymore and it was reported as carrying malware on some other sites. Lecarde 1 also does not have rebindable controls on the controller, so I had to live with the controls however the controller picked them up. Pause button would only work on the keyboard. Everything else worked, though, and I've gotten used to it. For Lecarde 2, I remapped things like this, and it worked great: X-attack, A-jump, Y-Aura Blast (magic), and B-Special. I eventually chose L and R for the Menu and Map because I couldn't remember them on Start and Select. lol. All the same, wish you luck. I waited until this year to play these games. As I said above, though, Lecarde 2 is significantly more polished than Lecarde 1. Lecarde 1 has some of that NES hard quality to it at points. Not saying Lecarde 2 is a pushover, but it's more fair and balanced.

[X]

I have an XBOX One controller for my PC. Not sure if it will do the trick though I should give it a try. As for LC1 I downloaded it a while ago (like when it was originally released) so that's all good. LC2 is still going through some improvements so I can snag that when it's finalized. I'll also want to check out CotW once it becomes available on the market 

[RichterB]

What is the general gap of time expected from when this game launches on Steam to when it could launch on Switch? I'm excited to jump back into a Migavania, and I'm more of a console person than PC person. All the same, continued luck. Know that your work is anticipated and appreciated!

[slograa]

https://twitter.com/Migami_Games/status/1704492212963234030

Nice title screen.

[Migami Games]

What is the general gap of time expected from when this game launches on Steam to when it could launch on Switch? I'm excited to jump back into a Migavania, and I'm more of a console person than PC person. All the same, continued luck. Know that your work is anticipated and appreciated!

It's hard to say exactly what the gaps will be, but they shouldn't be nearly as long as was the case with Wallachia. Right now here is what we are looking at for platforms and estimated costs.

Steam
Nintendo Switch w/physicals
PS4/5 w/physicals
Xbox (digital only but Gamepass is being considered)

Chronicles of the Wolf will likely be sold for around $19.99 digitally with a planned Migami Monsterverse bundle that will include Wallachia: Reign of Dracula and Chronicles of the Wolf for $24.99 digitally.

The game is very large and most people will get a lot of gameplay out of it.

For the soundtrack it has been determined that it would be impossible to fit it all on vinyl without it costing a fortune and being at minimum 4 discs, so for COTW compact disc will be the only physical for the OST. We will be much faster with getting it onto Spotify this time though!

We are hoping to still make the last quarter of 23 but it's possible we could run a little behind. We both have been struck with some very difficult real life stuff which is making our home stretch of development very arduous.

But just know that the game has been testing very well! It will be worth the time! 🙂

Thanks!

[Migami Games]

We invite you to try a little demo of our upcoming game Chronicles of the Wolf on steam! Please try it and wishlist! Thank you so much! 🐺♥️

Download here:
bit.ly/46PGlcD

We really appreciate it!

[RichterB]

We invite you to try a little demo of our upcoming game Chronicles of the Wolf on steam! Please try it and wishlist! Thank you so much! 🐺♥️

Download here:
bit.ly/46PGlcD

We really appreciate it!

YES! Migami Team, I saw this reposted on Twitter/X. Thank you! I put it on my wishlist, too, even though I really want it more for Switch than Steam overall. You are knocking it out of the park. I don't know that there's a game on the market that's quite like this, and I hope you get the accolades you deserve after your amazing Castlevania fan games.

As promised, it is definitely, uncompromisingly a successor to the Lecarde games. I am sort of struggling right now in terms of how much I play of the demo versus waiting for the full game, because it is sucking me in just like your Castlevania games. You do integrated world-building so well. I honestly soured on Metroidvanias by 2007-ish, but you just do something different that makes it work. I think it's that you totally respect the idea of a tough "action-platformer" within the exploration and RPG elements, your map layouts have variety with verticality and angles to them, and you make the world feel natural and alive. (In some ways, you fully realize the promise of Simon's Quest or a 2D version of Castlevania 64, both of which I was a fan of.) There aren't a lot of games where I so naturally link with the flow of the gameplay loop without getting tired of it. It feels like a living storybook. All this to say, I'm falling in love with your work on this; it's what I want out of gaming. Here are my reactions so far, with spoiler tags. In terms of progress,

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I just got the Earth Bell slide ability

...

PROS:

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-The game is showing a nice variety of locations and area geometry to convey those areas. It doesn't feel flat, and I'm looking forward to this game evolving in what I assume will be more creepy territory. Already I've gone from a pretty tame village and forest to an intriguing water mill and now a increasingly sinister taxidermy dungeon. The density of the game, where tasks flow quickly without down time of padding, is great.

-The character dialogue with clues and world-building is really engrossing. It was cool, for example, to go find the woman hiding beneath her home and asking for help with her son's ring and foreshadowing the coming dungeon.

-I love that the village is right away foreshadowing future areas and lore. Such a signature Migami move, and it instantly hooks the player.

-Little, intuitive side quests like getting rid of the rats in the attic were quick and rewarding. I was worried they'd be like Bloodstained's side quests.

-The hunting mechanic is very seamless. I was worried it would somehow distract, but it makes for a natural way to get health items.

-The ghost helper in the Water Mill is such a cool story beat that plays into the game mechanics!!! Bravo!

-The Water Mill being an opening dungeon was a clever choice. And it foreshadowed the use of items that can interact with the background, with there being a missing piece to fix. (Lecarde 2 had so many great moments with this idea, even going so far as to break those letters off the background in that evil garden area to put them elsewhere.)

-Montoya is delivering with the soundtrack (shout out, MN creatives!). Even without Castlevania tunes to go off of, he's got it. Really enjoying how they're setting the scene and can't wait for more variety. Really looking forward to seeing more of those moments of minimalism, too, where the music just creeps you out before entering someplace. Even so, I like the catchy stuff, too! Like the use of xylophone-type percussion in the water area, especially.

-Great to hear the music still changes according to the time of day and that there are different weather effects besides just different times of day. Interesting to see different animals come out too.

-There is a brief moment where you realize the game has to come up with enemies outside of Castlevania, but then you get a thrill because you do not know what their patterns with be. The knife-throwing skeleton warriors are quickly becoming a favorite. You've done a good job so far establishing your own foes or building off ones you created in the Lecarde games, but having them still feel genre appropriate. (IGA has a tendency to break the immersion/mood by going for comedy or overly exotic sources that water down the cohesion of the world for the sake of coolness.)

-The main character's animations and details are superior to the Lecarde games. Very well done.

-Happy to see the ropes back. Looking forward to getting an air dash and maybe even some new traversal mechanics. The ghost helpers open up some possibilities in my imagination...

-The area around the taxidermy place, and build-up to it, were nice. This is the point where a lot of my mild concerns started to fade.

-The challenge is really nice. It's just right. I'm dying, but I'm not frustrated. And so far, while EXP is not my thing, I don't notice it hurting the challenge.

-Like the enemies, figuring out all-new subweapons is interesting. So far I like what I've used. Those spinny ax things are crazy! Still working them out.

-The combat system feels like a blend of Lecarde 1 and 2, which is really cool. You've got a lot going on with charging your main weapon, a mana power, and a charged sub weapon, but it doesn't feel clunky. It has just the right amount of variety. I already found myself switching up approaches with these for different scenarios. It all feels "necessary" rather than window dressing. I GREATLY prefer this combat strategy idea to games that go for combos and damage-sponge enemies.

-The cutscenes and little voice inserts are well done. I even like how you have portraits now in the shops. And the shops themselves have nice incentives for the money in the game, just like the Lecardes had.

-There was a moment where I decided to fall down from the bridge with a waterfall after passing it carefully multiple times, just to see what would happen, and there was an area below that was a shortcut with a restorative item and a hint at another hidden area with a rope. SUCH GOOD MAP DESIGN!

-...I'm a fan of The Woman in Green.

CONCERNS/GETTING USED TO:

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-There seems to be a slight hitch in the character animation sometimes when doing a jump attack. It happens somewhere right after the stab in the air, the character seems to stutter or freeze for like a miliesecond, and then fall. I didn't check, but maybe it's just happening with the dagger weapon, too. That's where I noticed it the most. It doesn't happen all the time. It's not a terrible thing that ruins the gameplay, but it does break the seamlessness just a tiny bit.

-I haven't seen the "Press Up" to go into an area in the background yet aside from buildings. Hope that wasn't taken away from Lecarde 2, because it was really cool. Like when the village in Lecarde 2 had a passageway to, I think, the Dark Forest by pressing up somewhere near the well.

-Maybe I just need to replay it and be more patient, but the hit box and pattern for the Cursed Bones boss felt a little weird. Like there was a very narrow window for attack and not a lot of space to pull it off without being hit. That's not a bad thing, per se, but it wasn't clear to me when it would be safe and what parts were safe to touch between attacks. But I think maybe I was just distracted by all the maggots on the ground, which I thought I had to defeat.

-Walking up and down inclines, I don't really mind it, but the way the character's feet float might bother some people.

-The little detail of the wiggling boards in the Water Mill was great. I just was trying to determine if they'd stop wiggling and then fall. I guess I expected the wiggling to stop one way or the other when I stopped moving. But the effect is great.

-Just from coming off the Lecarde games, the game didn't immediately seem as lived-in/gritty/creepy/detailed in its art direction at first. (Aside from the main character being more detailed, that is.) The world looked a little more cartoony somehow. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's just the color palette. But as I've gotten in and seen more areas, my concerns have been getting less and less. It's starting to have more eerie vibes and little unique details, especially getting to the area in and around the taxidermy place. I was just referring to these comparisons below, but again, overall, especially standing as its own game, I still find it very atmospheric and am enjoying it a lot. And maybe my eyes are just playing tricks on me, just getting used to the new world and not having seen all the areas yet...

(SEE FIRST ATTACHED IMAGE)

And just as an overall comparison, this shot from Lecarde 2 is one of many where you literally want to stop and stare at the details and can just feel the decayed texture of the world: (SEE SECOND ATTACHED IMAGE)

All this said, thank you, thank you, thank you...and merci, merci, merci, for all the work you've put into this. It's going to be such a joy to experience.

And I did get your previous message about the port timing. Thank you. I'm someone who will either for sure get a digital or physical copy for Switch. It just depends on the wait time. Like 100%, you've already got my money on this game in some form! I won't rule out a Steam purchase, either, but I'd just really like to be able to play this on the go and Switch is sort of where I try to curate my favorite games.

I must say, your note of a Wallachia combo pack was interesting. I don't see Wallachia on the eshop anymore, and I was coming around to giving it a try. I liked the aesthetic of that game, I just never jumped on it because I couldn't quite make out what kind of game it was and wasn't sure if it was for me. For some reason, I took it as an arcade shooter/beat'em-up, and it sort of is, but it's really just more of a blend of home-console Contra and classic Castlevania...sort of almost in the vein of Ghosts 'n Goblins in a way. Anyway, I'm considering giving it a chance, but Chronicles of the Wolf is the first priority and my number one most anticipated game.

EDIT: Okay, beat the demo. Such a great place to end the demo! Totally sells it. Excellent boss design all the way around with the fight that ends the demo. My previous questioning about its art versus Lecarde 2 has largely been quashed with the latter parts of the demo. I think whatever the difference is, it's just a slight stylistic tweak, but it's still very detailed and atmospheric and later areas may prove to me it's all just a matter of perception, like an optical illusion. Great stuff. The music, too, I've heard more of those creepy interludes just where they should be! Love it! I tested out the jump slash hitch a bit more. It seems to only happen occasionally if you try to slash twice in the air, or downward slash. It's barely noticeable, though. Wishing you all the best!

[Migami Games]

 @RichterB

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! We've taken note of your concerns! We were already aware of some, and the others like "up to go in other areas" do get used later, so don't worry.

We wanted to make LC3. That wasn't possible, so all of our heart and energy that would have gone into that is now the next chapter of our own Migami Monsterverse, Chronicles of the Wolf.

While we are aware that LC2 was a little bit of lighting in a bottle, we can assure you that COTW is easily our biggest, most refined, and best game.

We've put all our heart and all we have to give into this game and we can't wait to finally share it with you all!

And don't worry the game definitely gets much darker and more intense as you go!

Wallachia is due to be back up some time this month on the eShop! We will notify everyone when it is back! We're really relieved it's finally being restored. Thanks!

[slograa]

Great demo, COTW is my most anticipated game, now the only small issues I've got are :

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-The sound effect of the bombs blowing and the rifle shoting need to be louder.
-That would be cool to get more zombies and Rosicrucian Knights zombies in the first areas,it's too
nice to be that short.
-The difficulty is well balanced, but maybe not hard enough.

[RichterB]

I replayed the demo...

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-I bought a blunderbuss this time...wow, that makes things easier. I can see this playing into strategies, but gotta be careful it doesn't get too overpowered. But in terms of strategies, I did feel kind of feel like I was supposed to use it in the Taxidermy Gallery against the mounted trophy heads; that reminded me of using a Zelda item. I appreciated that a lot.

-The delay between the "get-relic" chime cue for the Earth Bell is a little too delayed. I think it should play and THEN you go to the screen where it shows you how to use it.

I know there was mixed reactions, but I hope there will be a few tense/scary traps in this game. So long as they're near a point where a player won't lose too much progress, and maybe there are some clues at some point to prepare for some of them if you think carefully, I think they are totally okay. Things like the Death Wall, Jeanne, Death Room, Book of the Dead, and the marionette play that ages you into a skeleton. Those utterly blew my mind in Lecarde 2.

-I also wonder if we'll see some number combination puzzles like in Lecarde 2. Those were neat the way they integrated multiple aspects of the quest together.

-There's much less delay in the menus compared to Lecarde 2.

-I noticed FIFTY slots for relics!!! That's ten more than Lecarde 2, and that was already a very handsome amount of meaningful things to find. Guess this game is going to be big.

-I like the Rose Cross Knights. I hope we don't find out they're secretly an evil organization or something. One of them being crooked would be ok-ish, I guess, like how you had Constance in Lecarde 2. But I liked how the Lecarde games played to the theme of holy forces versus those corrupted by various forms of greed. It empowered the main character and player more in my opinion to face the unknown and overwhelming. It was the opposite of what Netflix did with Castlevania overall.

-I leveled up a bit more while grinding for money. It did seem to make some parts easier, for better or worse.

-I'm noticing a lot of little details I missed. The subtle things like some support beams being in the foreground and some in the background, changing the visibility of your character adds to the immersion. And the village has a lot of nice layers.

-The sky and clouds are moving! Missed that last time.

-I didn't realize it, but there are no "item crashes" for the sub weapons like in Lecarde 1. I thought that was making a comeback, but I was mistaken...unless I'm not with a relic. That may not be strictly necessary. Just thought it might be another cost-benefit strategy for the combat.

-The way you have different power attacks for your main weapon is something that makes it more worthwhile to collect different weapons, and based on Lecarde 2, I assume there won't be an unmanageable amount of weapons like in an IGA title; they'll be more based on usefulness and leveling up in each map area (hence the village shops). I noticed, for example, that the dagger is weaker than the sword, but it's powered attack lands a lot of hits--even more than its standard form.

-Is there a way to cancel the Light Needles and other specials if you charge up by mistake? I'd like that.

-The way you glow red when you don't have enough orbs for an super attack is great design work.

-The menu's descriptions are jumbled together with other text that flows outside of the box.

-The Cursed Bones battle is still bugging me a bit. I really like the setup and the boss' pattern, but I just don't feel like I get to use the tiered terrain much with the tightness of the hit/damage box and the lack of a slide ability. The effects on the eye lasers are very nice, though.

-I am really appreciating how much better the animations are in this game than in the Lecarde games overall.

-The music is SO good! The nighttime version of the forest is really growing on me, and I like how the daytime version has that staccato portion near the loop with the percussive low-key piano. I love Castlevania music, but this captures the spirit of that without having to take actual songs. Congrats!

-The way the slide ability plays with the taxidermy boss is great. Very well designed patterns that play off the new ability you've just gotten. That might be one of the best-designed patterns of a Migami boss. Really rewards the player to study the pattern and use what they've learned.

-If I'm not mistaken, the villages at night have some citizens with different dialogue. That is really cool and COULD be used for some awesome puzzles down the line.

-"Strength Up" is misspelled as "Strenght Up" in the MANA description page when you get the first ghost power.

-I can totally feel how you've put everything into this. I'm fine with it not being Lecarde 3 because, ultimately, that'd just make me feel bad that Konami doesn't know how to live up to the things you're doing, and with the innovations/twists you've added, it might as well be its own thing! Like, all due respect to Bloodstained and what it and its spinoffs accomplished, aesthetically and world-wise, I did not think it was a great substitute for Castlevania on the whole. This is filling that void.

[Migami Games]

Thanks so much for playing the demo!

Check out a medley of the music from The Taxidermy Gallery!

There is a lot of music in this game. A lot.

Thanks everyone!

https://youtu.be/X7-7e95dPnw?si=C8PFd9ek6UiHOlSg

[Migami Games]

We are happy to announce that Kira Buckland has joined the cast this time to lend her voice to this lovely young lady! Kira voiced Elcin in Wallachia: Reign of Dracula and Christine in Castlevania The Lecarde Chronicles 2. We are thrilled to have her back! 🙂🐺

[RichterB]

Thanks so much for playing the demo!

Check out a medley of the music from The Taxidermy Gallery!

There is a lot of music in this game. A lot.

Thanks everyone!

https://youtu.be/X7-7e95dPnw?si=C8PFd9ek6UiHOlSg

That medley has it all! The creepy buildup, the moody but adventurous melody, and then the ominous boss theme (preceded by one more spooky ambient piece). I was so happy to hear the boss music included. I was going to see if I could find it to listen to because I didn't realize this was a medley at first. I REALLY like that boss tune. It has weight and momentum to it. One of the things that was so cool about Lecarde 2 was how many music change-ups there were (including individual boss themes!) and how they played to the scenes at hand so immersively. I think it's part of what makes Migami's work so organic-feeling.

I've been hyping up your past and current work to a friend, and I hope there's enough of those crazy, unique moments similar to Lecarde 2 like the time-altering puppet show, so that this friend can see how amazing and creative your game design is.

Also great to hear Kira is back. She was Jolyne Cujoh in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, too! Still have to get to Wallachia. It's on my list, but don't want to force it in the middle of some other titles I'm playing right now. I want to be able to appreciate it. I'm curious how much it connects to Chronicles of the Wolf. You mention elsewhere it's a prequel in the universe, but as I understand it Wallachia is more reality-based--i.e. no zombies, etc. Also, you mentioned some kind of combo pack of the two games before. Is that a digital thing? Physical? Just trying to figure that out too.

Good luck with everything. Excited about every little announcement. The music is not to be underestimated on this.

[RichterB]

Picked up Wallachia: Reign of Dracula as I wait. The game in motion on the Switch looks much better than it does in videos. The sprite work is really incredible. I really appreciate how big the sprites are, too. It's a very well made game that is as advertised. It sort of reminds me of a beefed up version of a game I'd find in an arcade in the 90s. I think the variety of scenarios is nice.

I've made it to Level 6, but then I had to call it a day. (Been a while since I played a game where you have to start over from scratch--which produced a bit of anxiety--but I know that it wouldn't really make sense to have a save system in a game like this. Well, maybe a temporary save like in Harmony of Dissonance would have been nice, but I can respect the vision. And with what I've learned, I know I can get back to where I was quicker. This is like my Contra III and Super Ghouls N Ghosts days.) [EDIT: There is a difficulty-based Stage Select after you've beaten levels. Problem solved. This will be great for working on Trophies, too.] I like how there are bonus modes and trophies to keep some replay value on a game that, by design, will not be too long.

The voices and sound design are really good, and the music is fitting. I don't know if a specific song has totally grabbed my attention yet (maybe Stage 1 a bit), but I can see them growing on me. I think the special helper characters' powers are sort of more limited than I would like because you have to have so many gems to use any of them. Getting to Power Level 2 especially on any regular basis seems out of the question. I'm still getting the hang of switching between arrows in spots and understanding their properties. The addition of a sword is cool, and I like how there are some strategy elements in terms of the keys in the levels and such. (I'm always wondering about the rewards of saving a prisoner versus opening a chest.) The Tower Boss and the War Dragon were very clever, and Dragomir takes the award for coolest design in a game with great art direction. I love how the stages evolve in terms of day and night or weather, or how you go into a well in one of the stages. It's kind of fun to see Migami's take on a more straightforward action game. It has hints of your work on the Lecarde games, but is in a different context.

For some reason the resolution on the title screen and opening cinema seem less than the actual game, but it's not a big deal. The story is well directed and told for what it is.

Anyway, the game deserves a lot of credit. I don't know how it ended up doing, but in terms of quality, it's easily in the conversation with the best indies and deserved credit. It is honestly a much better game than I expected when I first saw the screenshots and trailers. So that's my misjudgment for having certain expectations. I think for me, personally, I would have liked to have seen more supernatural elements, but I know that this was intended to be more of a historical fiction take on the whole Dracula story. That said, I wonder how this ties into Chronicles of the Wolf. Maybe Christian starts the Rose Cross Knights or something? It feels like a separate universe so far. Maybe Elcin's wolf helper is connected somehow, too. All that said, solid, fun, polished game you should definitely be proud of. Do not doubt that you know what you're doing in terms of game design. This is good stuff, even in a different genre. Congrats on getting to flex your creativity on an original IP like this and sticking to your vision for it before Chronicles of the Wolf.

[Migami Games]

Picked up Wallachia: Reign of Dracula as I wait. The game in motion on the Switch looks much better than it does in videos. The sprite work is really incredible. I really appreciate how big the sprites are, too. It's a very well made game that is as advertised. It sort of reminds me of a beefed up version of a game I'd find in an arcade in the 90s. I think the variety of scenarios is nice.

I've made it to Level 6, but then I had to call it a day. (Been a while since I played a game where you have to start over from scratch--which produced a bit of anxiety--but I know that it wouldn't really make sense to have a save system in a game like this. Well, maybe a temporary save like in Harmony of Dissonance would have been nice, but I can respect the vision. And with what I've learned, I know I can get back to where I was quicker. This is like my Contra III and Super Ghouls N Ghosts days.) [EDIT: There is a difficulty-based Stage Select after you've beaten levels. Problem solved. This will be great for working on Trophies, too.] I like how there are bonus modes and trophies to keep some replay value on a game that, by design, will not be too long.

The voices and sound design are really good, and the music is fitting. I don't know if a specific song has totally grabbed my attention yet (maybe Stage 1 a bit), but I can see them growing on me. I think the special helper characters' powers are sort of more limited than I would like because you have to have so many gems to use any of them. Getting to Power Level 2 especially on any regular basis seems out of the question. I'm still getting the hang of switching between arrows in spots and understanding their properties. The addition of a sword is cool, and I like how there are some strategy elements in terms of the keys in the levels and such. (I'm always wondering about the rewards of saving a prisoner versus opening a chest.) The Tower Boss and the War Dragon were very clever, and Dragomir takes the award for coolest design in a game with great art direction. I love how the stages evolve in terms of day and night or weather, or how you go into a well in one of the stages. It's kind of fun to see Migami's take on a more straightforward action game. It has hints of your work on the Lecarde games, but is in a different context.

For some reason the resolution on the title screen and opening cinema seem less than the actual game, but it's not a big deal. The story is well directed and told for what it is.

Anyway, the game deserves a lot of credit. I don't know how it ended up doing, but in terms of quality, it's easily in the conversation with the best indies and deserved credit. It is honestly a much better game than I expected when I first saw the screenshots and trailers. So that's my misjudgment for having certain expectations. I think for me, personally, I would have liked to have seen more supernatural elements, but I know that this was intended to be more of a historical fiction take on the whole Dracula story. That said, I wonder how this ties into Chronicles of the Wolf. Maybe Christian starts the Rose Cross Knights or something? It feels like a separate universe so far. Maybe Elcin's wolf helper is connected somehow, too. All that said, solid, fun, polished game you should definitely be proud of. Do not doubt that you know what you're doing in terms of game design. This is good stuff, even in a different genre. Congrats on getting to flex your creativity on an original IP like this and sticking to your vision for it before Chronicles of the Wolf.

Thanks so much for checking out Wallachia!

As you discovered, you can re-visit any stage you've reached anytime later by the stage selector in the top right of the tutorial screen. It's not in the best spot and we apologize for that. But glad to see that you figured it out!

Because it was our first commercial game, the goal with Wallachia was to do a fun, more simple action game that would honor the great the 16 bit era Castlevania and Contra games (Sonia Belmont at the same time), and present Dracula in a different way than you would expect in his more historically aligned origin era. We wanted to honor those games, without merely cloning them.

While Wallachia stays pretty close to history for its duration, it does, like a prelude,  introduce supernatural elements and has hints of possibilities that could come.

Chronicles of the Wolf is a few hundred years later, where the events of Wallachia are legend, and the supernatural has become apparent reality.

Thanks so much for your feedback!